PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
November 12, 2015
BATTERED WOMEN’S SUPPORT SERVICES PRESENTS ‘BREAKING THE SILOS’
Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS) commemorates International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, November 25, 2015 by presenting a unique and memorable event.
Breaking the Silos is the theme for BWSS’s 2015 fundraising gala and it will be held on Wednesday, November 25th at the Terminal City Club in Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories. BWSS is delighted to present Severn Cullis-Suzuki as the keynote speaker and Global BC’s
Jill Krop as MC.
Breaking the Silos guests will enjoy a fabulous 3-course gourmet dinner with wine and a dynamic program that includes updates on BWSS programs, Breaking the Stereotypes, an eco-fashion show by BWSS social enterprise My Sister’s Closet, a featured performance by Women of Turtle Island Drum Group, the World Premiere of Compassion in a Kiss music video with live performance by Claire Mortifee, Young Nige with DJ K-Rec, an outstanding silent auction and much more!
“Each one of us comes from a woman. And ultimately, all of us, come from the Earth. Ancient truths, yet today we deny them. This denial allows extremist resource extraction, and where extreme extraction occurs, violence against women is rampant. Now the 6th Mass Extinction event is unfolding – a war on life itself, and a war on life givers. I am honoured to be invited to speak at the gala, and looking forward to talking about the fundamental connections between violence against the Earth and violence against women.” Severn Cullis-Suzuki
“Breaking the Silos is an excellent opportunity for our communities to mobilize around a shared vision that addresses climate change and its connection to violence against women.” Angela Marie MacDougall, Executive Director at BWSS
BWSS invites the community to join us as we honour our collective efforts, connect as a community, inspire each other, strengthen friendships and most importantly raise funds for Battered Women’s Support Services critical services and programs for girls and women.
BWSS is grateful to Cascadia for their generous support as principal sponsor of this event.
Event details:
Breaking the Silos – BWSS Fundraising Gala
Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at 6:00pm
Terminal City Club, Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories
Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Keynote Speaker
Jill Krop, MC
Tickets $100 each or $750 for a table of 8
Public enquiries and tickets:
Tickets available online http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/breaking-the-silos-tickets-18962247593
For more information please call BWSS at 778-558-7179 or email communityengagement@bwss.org
Media enquiries
Angela Marie MacDougall, Executive Director, Battered Women’s Support Services
Tel. (604) 808 0507 E-mail: director@bwss.org
About Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Activist
Severn Cullis-Suzuki is an activist for diversity – in the natural world, in human society and in cultural worldviews. She began as child, calling on leaders for intergenerational justice for her generation. In 1992, 12-year-old Canadian Severn Cullis-Suzuki spoke at the Earth Summit in Rio. With eloquence and passion, she appealed to world leaders not as politicians but as parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, reminding them they were there not to protect Earth for the sake of economics or politics, but for those we love. Severn moved her audience to tears and shot to fame as an icon of the environmental movement. Now known as “The Girl Who Silenced the World for 6 Minutes”, the video clip of the speech is still making rounds on YouTube, continuing to inspire youth all over the world – many of whom don’t realize it’s two decades old. Today she fights for the future of her own children. A proud global citizen, her work is often on an international level; but it is rooted in Canada where she is an author and environmental communicator, and in the treeroots and salmon streams of her home province of British Columbia, where she lives on Haida Gwaii. Severn is a member of the Earth Charter International Council, host of Aboriginal People’s Television Network’s Samaqan: Water Stories, a Board Member of the David Suzuki Foundation and the Haida Gwaii Higher Education Society.
About Jill Krop, Station Manager and News Director, Global BC
Jill Krop is one of the most recognizable and trusted journalists in the province and she has recently taken on new responsibilities as the Station Manager and News Director for Global BC. I couldn’t ask for a better job or a better bunch of people to work with, says Jill Krop. Jill started her career, like a lot of fellow B.C. broadcasters, at CKPG in Prince George. Then it was onto Regina, to be the first anchor at the brand new STV. She then spent just over a year in Saskatchewan before heading east – to the Maritimes. Jill spent the next six years at ASN (the Atlantic Satellite Network) in Halifax hosting everything from major newscasts to the incredibly popular morning show, Breakfast Television. Over the years, Jill has had some amazing experiences in a number of cities, and is glad to have worked right across this Canada. She
delighted in returning to B.C. and is proud to be working at a topnotch newsroom here at Global BC. In addition to loving her job, Jill also found a new passion in travelling around the world. She is happiest when wandering the world with her backpack and a Lonely Planet travel guide. She has been to Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Australia, China, Mexico, Guatemala and Belize in the past few years and hopes to continue her travels … next destination: unknown!
About BWSS
BWSS is a feminist organization. We believe that battering does not take place between two people individually, in isolation, but in a social context, and is rooted in the oppression of women. Further, we believe that battering is the result of a world view which supports the right of some people to oppress others. That right is granted by the privilege of status associated with gender, race, religion, class, sexual orientation, age and physical ability.
Battered Women’s Support Services provides education, advocacy and support services to assist all battered women in its aim to work towards the elimination of violence and to work from a feminist perspective that promotes equality for all women. We contribute to the freedom and liberation of girls and women from violence and to empower our community through training and education programs. For over 35 years BWSS has been providing counselling and healing spaces for those who have experienced abuse. To help women build strength and resiliency, we work on systemic advocacy, law reform, in-class youth engagement programs and we operate a social enterprise called My Sister’s Closet in British Columbia. In addition, we support men by urging them to own their role in ending violence against girls and women.
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